Bypassing electrolysis: one-step calciothermic route from Nd2O3 to Nd2Fe14B

CMI researchers at Ames National Laboratory conducted the research for this highlight

Innovation
Direct conversion of neodymium oxide into high-purity Nd₂Fe₁₄B produces powders for preparation of NdFeB sintered magnets.

Achievement
Hydrogen treatment of NdFeB powders produced via Ca-RD process followed by low-energy milling and addition grain boundary modifier produced magnet with coercivity Hc = 11.3 kOe, energy product (BH)_max = 27.4 MG-Oe, and density of 7.2 g/cc. High coercivity was achieved by thorough pre-mixing of reagents and grinding of obtained powders.

Significance and Impact
The one-step calciothermic procedure circumvents the neodymium metallization process through direct production of Nd₂Fe₁₄B permanent magnets from Nd₂O₃ and Fe, paving the way for domestic permanent magnet production.

Hub Target Addressed
Energy-efficient rare earth metals production